City Council today received an update on child care, EarlyON Child and Family Centres and provincial funding for Indigenous-led services.
The City has provided nearly 950 additional children with a fee subsidy and found them a child-care space since September 2017. All children who are currently eligible for a subsidy have been approved and added to their preferred provider’s placement list.
Council approved a funding framework for the new system of EarlyON Centres, which will expand access to child and family services across Ottawa. The funding framework will align services with the needs of families and allocate funding proportionally across the city, with a focus on vulnerable families and Francophone and Indigenous services. The City expects to have service providers selected for the new system by the end of 2018.
The Province also committed $9.6 million over the next two years to better serve Indigenous families in Ottawa. This funding will create 49 child-care spaces and four child and family programs that are culturally relevant, serving 2,270 additional people.
Council approved the Ottawa Board of Health’s recommendation to appoint Dr. Vera Etches as the new Medical Officer of Health for the City of Ottawa Health Unit. This recommendation will be transmitted to the Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care for confirmation. Dr. Etches has been acting Medical Officer of Health since her appointment on November 14, 2017. Dr. Etches joined Ottawa Public Health in 2009.
Council received the 2017 Annual Report of Ottawa Public Health and the 2017 Annual Report of Ottawa Fire Services.
Council also approved three commemorative naming proposals. Orléans and Rideau-Rockcliffe will be home to Roger Montpetit Park and Helen Redpath Thomson Park, respectively. An ice rink in the Goulbourn Recreation Complex will be named Katie Xu and Jack Fan Rink, to commemorate two Special Olympics medalists who have been ambassadors for the special needs community. In addition, Council also approved a motion to name the Kanata Town Centre Core Park “Parc Bill Teron Park” in honour of the late Bill Teron.
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